IFST releases new food waste resources
The Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) has created new food waste resources to raise awareness and help prevent food waste in support of WRAP/IGD’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap.
In 2018, WRAP reported that there were 9.5 million tonnes of food waste estimated in the UK,
equating to a loss of £19 billion and 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (WRAP, 2020)
When food is lost or wasted, it impacts the environment, the economy and availability of resources at a time when many people cannot access enough food to eat.
Dr Gavin Milligan, chair of sustainability steering group said: “Wasted food has far-reaching environmental consequences as well as being a major social and economic issue and IFST is keen to help members navigate the complexities. Through WRAP/IGD’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, the UK has a world-leading process for the entire food system to work together on addressing the challenge.”
The IFST has also released a new Food Science Fact Sheet to provide clear, concise and scientifically reliable information on the topic particularly aimed at helping to inform consumers and to help them make informed decisions about how to reduce food waste, especially in the home.
IFST’s Food Science Factsheets have been designed to provide the public with clear, concise and scientifically reliable information on a range of food science and technology topics. They have been
peer-reviewed by IFST’s Scientific Committee and so can be relied upon as a trusted and independent source of information.
The Food Science Fact Sheet on Food Waste answers the following questions:
- ‘Why does food waste matter?’
- ‘What is food waste?’
- ‘How can food waste be prevented?’
- ‘How can I waste less food?’ as well as providing ‘top tips for reducing your food waste’.
You can access this Food Science Fact Sheet along with fact sheets on other topics (eg food
hygiene ratings, hand hygiene and food allergens) on the IFST website. Visit: www.ifst.org/our-resources/food-science-facts/food-science-fact-sheets.
IFST will also be running a series of webinars during the autumn/winter period. The webinars will
cover the definitions of food waste, the food waste/loss occurring during creation of finished edible
products and at the consumer-facing end of value chain, and how food waste can be best utilised, for example, to help feed those in need.
For further information, visit: www.ifst.org.
